"That team would struggle in League One" ... Rotherham United manager Steve Evans has work to do

The Millers lost 2-0 at Bristol City yesterday and Evans, who returned for a second spell in the hot-seat 11 days ago, described the team that played at Ashton Gate as one that “would struggle in League One”.

The Scot is planning a major overhaul over the close season and will meet with chairman Tony Stewart in the next fortnight to highlight what is required to build a promotion-winning squad.

“I am so proud to be back as manager of this club,” said the man who led Rotherham from League Two to the second tier a decade ago.

“The task is bigger than the one the chairman and the board outlined to me; it's substantially bigger - on the pitch particularly, little bits off it.

“There's a lack of infrastructure, a lack of certain bits. There's a lot of really good things going on at the club. We need to be ready to further develop that in the summer. We'll do that and be ready for the start of next season, for sure.”

The Millers fell behind in the first half to a Tommy Conway penalty that shouldn't have been given and Scott Twine scored direct from a free-kick following the break.

Describing Rotherham's performance as “workmanlike” and praising his players' effort levels, Evans said: “I've seen certain elements of individual performances where you think: ‘Yeah, that can be worked on.’

“We're probably at 25 out of 100 for where we need to be at the start of next season.”

The loss to the Robins means the Millers, whose drop fate was confirmed on April 4, have gone an entire campaign without a single win on the road.

“How we've been set up to adapt to Championship football over a long season is some way different to what my beliefs would be," said Evans who is the third boss this season, following the sackings of Matt Taylor and then Leam Richardson.

“You have to give yourself a chance to be competitive and win matches. Perhaps if the boys had been giving that type of shift earlier in the season then ... I'm not saying we'd have survived in the Championship but it might have been a lot longer before we were down.”

Injury issues have plagued Rotherham's year and so many players were unavailable for the trip to Ashton Gate that Evans could name only four outfield substitutes.

Midfielder Ollie Rathbone said after the clash: “There was no shortage of effort but I think there was a lack of quality and a shortage of depth in the squad.

“The shortage on the bench is a problem. We can't really impact games from the bench compared to the teams we're playing against.

“Today was disappointing because we couldn't give the travelling supporters anything to cheer about. It's been the same all season. There's been no lack of effort all season but we've just been nowhere near good enough.

“Away from home, we haven't been able to get amongst teams and impose the way we want to play.”